Green Academy I and II: leading
institution-wide sustainability change
in the tertiary education sector
Simon Kemp (Higher Education Academy)
Peter Rands (Canterbury Christ Church University)
Charlotte Taylor (National Union of Students)
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Green Academy
An institutional change programme initiated in partnership
with the National Union of Students (NUS) and
Environmental Association for Universities and Colleges
(EAUC).
Primary aim to help universities strategically embed ESD
into the student experience, with an initial focus on the
curriculum.
Project teams comprise of senior management (e.g.
PVCs), students, estates managers, and academics to
ensure an appropriately holistic approach to ESD
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Aim of Green Academy
To enable participants to successfully
embed sustainability across the institution
with a particular emphasis on education
for sustainable development.
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Objectives
1. To develop an understanding of sustainability and its
role within the host institution
2. To understand the process of change for sustainability
relevant to the institution
3. To link education, research, operations and student
experience to achieve holistic sustainability change
4. To develop new processes and content to lead to the
embedding of education for sustainable development
across the curriculum
5. To work with sector-leading supporters in developing
sustainability strategies and processes relevant to the
host institution.
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Green Academy I Institutions
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Education for Sustainable Development (ESD)
Education for Sustainable
Development (ESD) aims to
improve the formal curriculum
experience and address the bigger
issues facing the world today:
• Exploring embedded
institutional approach for
ESD
• All students to have
access to sustainability
experience
• Funded staff and interns
to support subject areas in
embedding sustainability
in all curriculum areas
Cultural
Diversity
Protection &
Restoration
of the Earth’s
Ecosystems
Human
Rights of
Future
Generations
Social &
Economic
Justice
The rural and the urban
Preparing for the imagined
future
A strong, stable and viable
economy
Human Rights
A healthy and just society
Quality of life
Environmental limits
and ecological wellbeing
Cultural heritage
Ethical questions
Diversity
Effective and participative
governance
We want to hear from you!
Let us know how ESD fits your
subject and course work.
Share your ideas!
www.bristol.ac.uk/environment/esd
Outside of your formal
classes, learning about
sustainability can occur:
Informally through
volunteering, involvement
in societies and taking
skills based training
Sustainable Development
Open Unit (UNIV10001)
By using recycling facilities
and buying fair trade
products
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The Christ Church ‘journey’
Year
Leadership/Gov.
2005
Policy published
2006
Sustainability Cttee.
Operational
Academic
GL
Module development
2007
Fairtrade
Fail (93)
2008
Travel plan
3rd (81)
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The Christ Church ‘journey’
Year
Leadership/Gov.
2005
Policy published
2006
Sustainability Cttee.
Operational
Academic
GL
Module development
2007
Fairtrade
Fail (93)
2008
Travel plan
3rd (81)
2009
Dedicated staff
2010
Staff conference
Car parking charges
2010
New Strategic plan
Carbon man. plan
Module failure
2:2 (70)
Definition of ESD
2:2 (56)
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The Christ Church ‘journey’
Year
Leadership/Gov.
2005
Policy published
2006
Sustainability Cttee.
Operational
Academic
GL
Module development
2007
Fairtrade
Fail (93)
2008
Travel plan
3rd (81)
2009
Dedicated staff
2010
Staff conference
Car parking charges
2010
New Strategic plan
Carbon man. plan
2011
EcoCampus Silver
2011
Module failure
2:2 (70)
Definition of ESD
2:2 (56)
Green Academy
1st (31)
Futures Initiative
2012
LiFE index
Bioversity launch
1st (33)
2013
EcoCampus Platinum
Zero landfill waste
?
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Developing strategy and the
Green Academy
“No undergraduate student will with leave the University
without a critical understanding of sustainable development
issues, concepts and ethical considerations through a
combination of effective teaching and learning, research and
scholarly activity.”
The University intends to develop a new, inter-disciplinary
initiative, focused on engaging students with the challenges
and problems of the twenty first century.
The ‘Christ Church 2050’ initiative will enable students and
tutors to explore what might loosely be termed the ‘great
issues’ of the age. These issues cover a broad range of
themes that are likely to impact on our lives in the years
ahead – social, scientific, environmental and ethical.
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Green Academy
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Returning home
Promoting a sustainable future
After
“We aim to ensure that all our staff and students understand the
need to sustainably manage our environment and address the
challenges to our common future, thoughtfully responding to the
issues that threaten our planet.”
Before
“No undergraduate student will leave the University without a
critical understanding of sustainable development issues,
concepts and ethical considerations through a combination of
effective teaching and learning, research and scholarly activity.”
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A futures perspective
14
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Links, connections & symbiosis
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Futures Initiative in 18 months
2011-12
£75K from University
0.5 FTE senior academic lead
14 funded projects with long term curriculum
impact and student involvement
2012-13
£70K funding
5 fractional academics = 0.6 FTE
18 funded projects
ESF Committee chaired by SMT Dean
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Future?
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Pulling out the plug
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• Sustainability‘Hub’
• Director of Education for
Sustainability
• PVC for Environment and
Sustainability
• New Chancellor
• Sustainability one of the 3
key themes of an
institution-wide curriculum
review
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• Establishment of ESD as a
‘Grand Challenge’- access
to funding & support
• ESD added to the
Nottingham Advantage
Award
• Sustainability literacy now
viewed as an important
graduate capability
• Learning for Sustainability
OER
• New £20M Orchard ‘EcoHotel’
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• Curriculum mapping to
enable embedding of
sustainability across the
curriculum - focus on
existing content and
graduate attributes
• Sustainability
engagement projects
involving students, staff,
and the community
• Vision that emerged is for
sustainability to be at the
CORE of the institution
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• Launch of INSPIRE
• Core mission ‘delivering
for a sustainable Wales,
locally, regionally,
nationally and
internationally’.
• Sustainability to be
embedded into 15% of all
students’experiences by
Autumn 2013
• Staff Sustainability Audit
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• Increased student
participation through the
SU and student societies
• Development of new
academic programmes –
new curriculum with a
Sustainability “Elective”
study path for students
from any programme
• Sustainability as a crossinstitution offer to students
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Student experiences of Green Academy at
the University of Worcester
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World café Go Green Week
2011
• All stakeholders involved
• Bottom up approach
• Build on university culture of
experiential learning and
strong student voice
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Students at the centre of Green
Academy at the University of
Worcester
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•
•
•
•
Results
Embedded with university
policy makers/committees
Increase student
participation in
sustainability initiatives
Embedded in university’s
strategic plan
Sustainability elective
open to all undergraduate
students
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Outcomes of Green Academy I
• The focus on the positive nature of the ‘challenges’, not
the traditional negativity of sustainability ‘problems’
• Recognition of the difficulty of tackling sustainability
through traditional pedagogy – the need to work
collaboratively and imaginatively (e.g. through wicked
problems)
• Value of engaging students as change agents
• The role of critical friends
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Outcomes of Green Academy I
• National and international dissemination leading to
reputation building for participants
• Development of an informal ESD change management
network where the participants have exchanged ideas
and resources
• The value of a collegial approach focused on knowledge
and practice sharing, driven by friendly competition
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Exercise
• Write down the top 3 priorities for your institution
1. How does ‘ESD’ fit into those priorities?
2. Does ‘Institution-wide Sustainability’ fit into those
priorities?
3. What are your greatest challenges in incorporating ESD
into your curriculum (or wider)?
We will pick on people randomly to report back…….
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Green Academy II Institutions
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Mapping current provision of ESD across formal and
informal education provision to evaluate the quantity and
quality
Office for the Vice Provost for Education piloting the
Global Citizenship programme this summer
First year undergraduates participating in four short courses
global health, sustainable cities, intercultural interaction and
human wellbeing reflecting UCL's grand challenges
Developing staff training around sustainability to be
incorporated into all departmental inductions and part of
a regular training programme.
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Seeking ways for ESD to be
applied to fashion education
to contribute to greater
balance in society, economy
and humanity
How can we nurture a culture
of creativity and critical
thinking, capable of
responding to global and
local issues with new models
for thriving societies and
economies?
36
Co-creating a 10--year
plan for institutional
change for sustainability
Developing processes
and benchmarks to
articulate and embody
teaching and learning for
sustainability across
subject areas.
Communicating a culture
and strategy of
sustainability.
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Food for Thought –
curriculum
Graduate Attribute
Over-arching theme
Institutional sustainability
‘Grand Challenge’
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The future – points for
consideration
Currently involves 18% of English and Welsh
Universities. How can we involve Scotland and N.
Ireland?
How can we work with Further Education?
Should the model be expanded to Europe?
Should Green Academy be run more regularly than
every two years?
Should the model be more focused in leadership, or
students as partners?
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Your ‘aha’ moment
If you don’t do anything else…
1. Ensure you obtain real top-level buy-in
2. Be prepared for barriers, knocks, indifference,
resistance…….
3. Don’t underestimate the importance of
involving students at every stage of the
institutional change process
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